Increasing Food Prices At Expense Of Quality And Quantity?

23 October 2014

I found the headline "Don't Increase Food Prices At Expense Of Quality And Quantity" (TODAY, 23 October 2014) confusing.

Reader Alan Chin Jia Lun had written to TODAY:

"I refer to the report on the rise in food prices …. It is inevitable for hawkers to raise their food prices as costs of ingredients, rental and manpower have gone up in recent years.

However, hawkers should not increase food prices at the expense of compromising on the quality and quantity of their food.

When food prices are increased, the portion of dishes should not be reduced, so that consumers will still feel satisfied. But some hawkers reduce the size of their servings."

Mr Chin and TODAY are mistaken.

Food sellers should not increase food prices and concurrently compromise on the quality and quantity of their food.

(Reducing food prices may be at the expense of, or may compromise, the quality or quantity of the food.)

Finally, "at the expense of compromising" is a puzzling phrase. It implies that compromising on something (the quality and quantity of the food in this case) is desirable.